Sharing for Social Change

Beyond Trusteeship & Incubation: Supporting Emerging Groups Through Shared Infrastructure Models

-Doug Kerr, Sage Centre at Tides Canada

Sharing innovation in the charitable sector

• What is Sage Centre?• Our Mission• Organizational Structure• Types of Projects• Our Services• Benefits of Sharing Infrastructure• Plans for the Future• Discussion

Sage Centre was started by Tides Canada Foundation to meet the changing needs of grassroots initiatives.

We enable projects to focus on action not administration.

In Fall 2006, Sage Centre & Agora Foundation began a pilot to support unincorporated initiatives in Ontario.

Funder Learning Circle was established to explore how the sector supports small and emerging groups.

We are supporting emerging initiatives in Toronto, York Region, Ottawa and Waterloo.

What is Sage Centre?

We are a federally registered charity working on:

• Conservation• Education and Research (Environment & Social

Justice)• Leadership Development • Civic Engagement• Charitable Capacity Building

36 projects comprise our single entity

Our Mission is to Advance Social Change

• lessen society’s impact on the environment;

• develop leadership skills;

• engage creative arts for social change;

• advance affordable housing issues;

• conduct violence prevention and poverty alleviation programs;

• promote social justice

Organizational Structure

Sage Centre Board of Directors

Core Management & Sage Staff TeamShared Services

Sage Projects Project

Project Project Project ProjectProjectProject Project

Project

Project Project

Project

Types of Projects

Community Collaborations – York Region Alliance to

End Homelessness

Coalitions– Halifax Initiative Coalition – Rainforest Solutions

Project

Pilots – National Green Legacies– Water Loss Initiative– Capacity Waterloo

Time-limited Initiatives– Northern Rivers Initiatives– BC Marine Conservation

Analysis

International Organizations with projects in Canada– ForestEthics Canada– Island Conservation Canada

Great Ideas (individuals or groups)– Centre for City Ecology– Global Women’s Memorial– Reel Youth

More Than Financial Management…

FinancialManagement

Human Resources

RiskManagement

Grant Administration

Information Sharing

Resources

Our Suite of Services

Sage provides all these services for of project revenue

9 to 12%

“Sage Centre has allowed our very small staff team to be able

to do the work we feel passionately about. For a

reasonable cost Sage provides us with financial expertise and a

legal home. Our coalition thrives in an atmosphere of

collaborative leadership without the stress of establishing an infrastructure that might be

perceived as competing with or depleting resources from member organizations.”

Fraser Reilly-KingHalifax Initiative Coalition

Our projects say…

Strong Financial Management

Annual Independent Financial Audit

Monthly Financial & Cash Reports

Regulatory Compliance

Charitable Receipting for Donations

Payables & Receivables

Banking and Bank Reconciliation

“I see so many senior managers of NGO’s spend enormous amounts of time on administration, and we

are a campaign driven organization, we should be spending our time on our core mission. Until Sage came along there was no

back up support. When we needed cheques cut, health

insurance coverage etc, there was no one there to

help.”

Tzeporah Berman ForestEthics Canada

Our projects say…

Comprehensive Human Resources

Standard Policies & Procedures

Offer Letters / Employment Contracts

Contracting

Payroll Services

Group Benefits & Administration

“Sage allows us to have access to

employee benefits that used to be exclusive to larger organizations.

Sage makes small initiatives feel like they

are part of a greater community with

expertise that can be drawn on when

needed.”

Sharon Kurtz , Rainforest Forest Solutions Project

Our projects say…

Rigorous Risk Management

Lease Administration

Insurance Coverage

Contract Review

Advocacy Tracking

Legal Oversight

“Sage has helped me get my job done by being available and engaged. They’ve connected me to funders, tour walk leaders, community groups and government representatives who have all been useful in pushing this event forward. In less than a year they have helped me turn this event from a local initiative to an international phenomenon.”

Jane Farrow, Jane’s Walk - Centre for City Ecology

Our projects say…

Sound Grant Administration

Support Documentation for Grants

Financial Reporting

Proposal Review and Submission

Compliance with Grant Agreements

“Sage has been an enormous support in allowing us to do this work. They have

provided a platform for us that has all the compliance pieces in place so we can apply for

funding. We have been able to secure two years of funding to build our capacity because

of Sage. It’s amazing.”

Jane Wedlock, York Region Alliance to End Homelessness

Our projects say…

Information Sharing and Resources

Project to Project Networking

Project Access Only Website

Benefits to Funders

Provides:– governance– accountability– transparency– a neutral third-party home for

coalitions– projects that meet funder goals

Supports – social innovation– emerging ideas and people

Leverages – funding dollars

“The Sage Centre provides a critical service to both BC conservation funders

and the people directly working to protect the province's outstanding

natural values. Its flexible approach and strong accountability systems allow the Moore Foundation to confidently invest

in important projects that might otherwise have gone unsupported.”

Ivan ThompsonGordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Benefits to Projects

• fast set-up process• professional and experienced

administration• participation in a diverse

network of projects and funders• comprehensive HR benefits,

insurance• credibility with stakeholders• allows project idea to be

incubated and ‘tested’ in the community

“Sage Centre has given us a neutral space for our coalition.

Sage allowed us to hit the ground running with efficient

administrative systems without over burdening one of our member organizations or spending time discussing who

would handle what administrative task. Sage

allowed us to simplify start up and bring existing financial and intellectual resources

together quickly to work for a common purpose.”

Chris AllnutRainforest Solutions

Project

Future Work

• HRSD Canada’s Sharing Innovation in the Non-Profit Sector

• Legal and Regulatory Work – Law Foundation of Ontario

• Working with sector on ways that we can support emerging initiatives